Cockfighting's "Days Are Numbered" in U.S.

Maryann Mott
for National Geographic News

June 13, 2007

Louisiana remains the only U.S. state where it's legal to watch razor-equipped roosters fight to the death, but that may soon change.

In a race against the clock, state lawmakers are trying to work out a compromise between two competing bills that outlaw cockfighting in the state's dozen or so licensed venues.

Cockfighting "is very bad for our image, and it's cruel to the animals," said state Senator Art Lentini, who introduced a bill that calls for an immediate ban.

The other bill gives cockfighters until the end of the year to shut down operations and get rid of their roosters.

For months the Louisiana Senate and House of Representatives have haggled over when a ban should take effect. And a meeting late Monday to select a time frame yielded no results, Lentini said.

If a date isn't agreed on before the legislative session adjourns June 28, Louisiana will remain the only U.S. state where the activity remains legal.

Oklahoma outlawed cockfighting in 2002. New Mexico followed suit in March 2007.

In the post-Katrina environment Louisiana desperately needs federal funding, and the controversial bloodsport could taint negotiations. Even pro-cockfighting politicians understand that the centuries-old practice must end, Lentini said.

"We do not need to be the only state to allow [cockfighting] while we are in Washington [D.C.] asking people to send millions of dollars for our levy and coastal protection," he said.

Ruffled Feathers in New Mexico

Meanwhile, New Mexico's ban, which takes effect Friday, has ruffled a few feathers.

"This is a ban on a very small ethnic group's right to legally practice a celebration that was handed down by beloved ancestors for many generations," wrote Charles VanHoozen of the New Mexico Gamefowl Breeders Association in a recent letter to the Albuquerque Tribune.

The association told the Las Cruces Sun-News that the group is now considering legal action to stop enforcement of the ban.

Enthusiasts say cockfighting funnels billions of dollars into the national economy and provides thousands of families with most, if not all, of their annual incomes.

"Incomes from game fowl in some instances have kept these families from relying on financial support from the government," said Jerry Leber, president of the United Gamefowl Breeders Assocation, during a U.S. House of Representatives hearing in February.

Still Practiced, Despite Bans

Though outlawed, cockfighting still thrives in some rural communities throughout the United States.

In recent weeks police raids have shut down operations in Arkansas, California, Colorado, and North Carolina.

Gambling is the norm at cockfights, with thousands of dollars exchanging hand. Law-enforcement officials also say drugs are sold at some events.

Leber of the Gamefowl Breeders Association admits criminals and drugs are present.

"However, this is more of a symptom of our culture and not tied specifically to this industry," he said.

Cockfighting involves specially bred birds, known as gamecocks. Their legs are fitted with razor-sharp steel blades, or gaffs, which look like three inch long curved ice picks.

The birds are let loose inside an enclosure where they fight to the death, which can take anywhere from several minutes to a half hour.

"These [birds] are the pit bulls of the poultry world," said John Goodwin, deputy manager of animal-fighting issues for the Humane Society of the United States.

"They've been bred for many, many generations to have this artificial level of aggression against others of their own species."

Punctured lungs, broken bones, and pierced eyes are just a few of the injuries birds sustain during fights, experts say.

Phone calls to members of the New Mexico, Louisiana, and United Gamefowl Breeders Associations were either unsuccessful or not returned.

No Teeth?

It's unlikely, though, that the ban in New Mexico will stop the fights, Goodwin said.

Under the new law, a first-time offender will be charged with a petty misdemeanor and so will be punishable only with a small fine.

"The bans certainly shake out a lot of people," Goodwin said.

"But we see that, in states where it's treated as a misdemeanor—because the gambling profit can outweigh any potential fines—the law doesn't get the same respect."

In the 33 states where felony provisions are in place, however, there has been a dramatic decline in the activity, he said.

Meanwhile in Louisiana, Senator Lentini has introduced two additional bills. The first closes a loophole in the state's animal cruelty law that excludes chickens.

The other bill bans gambling at cockfights. If passed, it would effectively shut down the practice, he said.

Lentini's efforts are among the reasons the Humane Society's Goodwin sees a possible end to this struggle.

"I think the days of organized cockfighting in the United States are numbered," Goodwin said.

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